The associate director of Sheffield Theatres, Richard Wilson, leads the way in an eclectic group of nine new honorary doctors at Sheffield Hallam University.

The actor and broadcaster - who is reviving his famous sitcom character Victor Meldrew during a one-man Crucible show next month - will be made a doctor alongside eight other recipients at Hallam’s graduation ceremonies in November.

Others in the group include Nicole Cooke, a former champion cyclist who speaks out against drug cheats, Jerry Dammers, the founder member of ska band The Specials who formed Rock Against Racism, and human rights campaigner Baroness Valerie Amos.

Communications expert Jayne Pearce, a veteran of seven Olympic Games and six football World Cups, is also becoming an honorary doctor, as well as Nestlé’s UK and Ireland chief Dame Fiona Kendrick, barrister Bruce Houlder QC, town planning expert Dr Louise Brooke-Smith and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals’ chief executive Sir Andrew Cash.